Smil ch. 6 part 1
chart from Smil p. 301
consequences of a fossil fuel economy:

use of fuel but also efficiency have increased dramatically

40% of agricultural production depends on industrially manufactured nitrogen (70% in China)

factory mass production expanded mass consumption:
fossil fuel made it possible to use larger volumes of products at lower prices
electrification simplified factory organization
the assembly line made factories much more efficient

notice the pattern--one sector after another requires fewer and fewer workers, meaning more people can do other things

transportation changed the shape of cities

electricity was key to global rapid communication
but that progressed slowly because it was capital intensive and the market was small when cost to use was high

then mass ownership of portable electronic devices such as laptops and phone

energy vs. gdp growthThe role of innovation (:tcomparative growth
















Smil: energy use decoupled from GNP:


but what is the impact of continuing growth?
we can reduce the amount of energy needed
but is that enough to prevent the problems of fossil fuels?
is there an alternative to an economy based on growth?


Paper topics: